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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26382259">Late</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyliwion/pseuds/Fyliwion'>Fyliwion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>30 Kisses [20]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>30 Kisses Challenge, 5 Years Later, Angst, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Romance, Stealing the bride, Wedding Gowns, Wedding Singer, Weddings, homecomings, the road home, wedding crashing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:54:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,958</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26382259</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyliwion/pseuds/Fyliwion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a long road for Kaito to come home, and he had no plans in barging back into Aoko Nakamori's life-- especially not the week before her wedding. </p><p>Fate had different plans.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakuba Saguru/Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid/Nakamori Aoko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>30 Kisses [20]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Late</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's some good old fashioned Angsty!Fluff Romance. Based off the If I Told You scene in Wedding Singer, and apparently something from Nana (which has been over 15 years since I've read so I have no idea what part ^^;; ) </p><p>Fun Fact: When I first posted this it was the tenth of the 30 Kisses I completed. Now there's only ten more after it ^__^ </p><p>30 Kisses Challenge <br/>Theme: #20 The Road Home</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>If I told you<br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>All the words I've yet to say<br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Would they matter?<br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Or would you simply turn<br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>And walk away?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If I hold you</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Will you tell me I should go?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Do I chance it?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Or would it just be better</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Not to know?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>--The Wedding Singer </span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was perhaps the worst thing in the world to come home and the first thing you see is the woman you love swirling around in her window in a wedding dress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he’d ever had even a glimmer of hope, it was the best way to extinguish every last flame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignore the fact you'd been gone for years. Ignore the fact you hadn't contacted her or so much as sent her one letter over that time. Ignore the fact you broke pretty much all ties with the woman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It somehow was a thousand times worse than any gunshot or knife could ever inflict.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if time had diminished his feelings, or if his feet hadn't dragged him straight to her house once he set foot back on Japanese soil. Honestly he hadn't expected her to even be there, and it wasn't like he had planned to walk up to the door and knock anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The best welcome he could ever expect would be a slap on the face, or maybe a tear or two shed on his behalf. But then, he didn’t want her to cry- so in any case it would be a lose-lose situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course his heart had leapt at the woman in the window. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he caught sight of her silhouette in the light, as he paused to lean against the lamppost outside. Still, as his eyes had adjusted better he was able to make out the western style white dress, and veil placed precariously on her still apparently untamable mass of hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even from the street he could see the distant look in her eyes as she spun and looked out at the stars. It was only several years worth of poker faces that kept his emotions under a tight rein and kept him from turning on his heel and running.  Something inside him nudged at him, told him that it was time to walk away from her life forever, reminded him that even watching her like this was wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How many years had it been? How badly had he hurt her? He’d been too cowardly to even face her face when she found out-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dropped all connections, let her think the worst of him so that it would simply be easier for her and he wouldn't have to see her face when all the pieces fell onto her lap. He had no right to watch someone like her dancing in her window, all done up for her wedding, and all the joy of a bride to be in love.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too late to wonder what things might have been like if there hadn't been KID, he'd made his choice long ago, and he couldn't very well blame another identity when it was his fault in the first place. In all likelihood, she wouldn't have had him anyway, though at least in that case he'd probably be inside and helping her get ready for the event instead of stealing glimpses like some-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was he saying? Of course he'd be stealing glimpses! After all, being a thief should come more naturally than anything else when it was the only thing that seemed to keep him going. Or used to…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course all that was in the past too. Done. Time to come home and figure out what pieces of his life were left that he could pick up.Could he even go back to magician work? He’d thought about the complications if Hakuba had proof or Nakamori knew-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was too much of a coward to face the prospect of jail. The idea terrified him like only those men after him had. He’d rather spend the rest of life as a thief then face the possibility of years behind bars. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking back up to Aoko disappointment flooded over him.  She'd disappeared from the window as he'd been thinking. Better really, after all he'd given up on her long before he gave up being KID, it wouldn’t have been fair to either of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well time to face Mom…" he said under his breath turning away from the house. If he looked at her window any longer he'd probably be arrested as a stalker and end up in jail anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had just started walking away, when the door slammed open and a voice called his name in the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Kaito?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't sure if it was a whisper or a scream, or maybe it had been such a long time since he'd heard his real name spoken by anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't turn around, instead he simply stood there, feet frozen to the pavement, every inch of him tense with nerves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is you isn't it?" her voice had gotten slightly lower since he'd last heard her. Lost some of the childishness that it had still held in high school, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was her voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a second to gather the courage to turn around, and to make sure he could hold a smile on his face when he did so. Of course seeing her up close almost undid the whole thing, but he couldn't help that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey!" Frankly he was shocked he'd managed to get that word out as calmly as he did. They slipped out using every inch of KID’s charm that he could muster. His eyes dazzled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was even more beautiful up close, a grown woman dressed in a gown to die for, looking like Cinderella done up for a ball. She might have been a princess or a heroine, a queen come to hold court in all her radiant splendor. A thousand things, and yet there she was, facing down a thief in the night in the middle of an empty street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked as struck as he felt. Her lips pursed and eyes wide. He found his tongue first, "Done up a little fancy aren't we? Is that the new style of pjs that took fashion while I was gone?" Walls were good. Walls kept people from getting hurt. Well alright maybe it was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>late for that, but he honestly couldn't think of anything else to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Funny how long silence could last. The way she didn't say anything at the words, but he could practically watch the pain he'd been hoping to never see grow on her face. There it was, the hurt that had somehow hit an unseen target with the sharpness of his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is you," a weight dropped with those words. It seemed to fall off of her and onto him as she took another step forward. "I- I thought I saw you from my window, but I didn't know if I was imagining it or-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito forced himself behind his KID masks. Forced on the mannerisms of a reluctant ease, a half baked smile that he could hide behind, "Yeah it was me. Sorry. I was passing on the way to Mom's house, and got distracted by a girl dancing in her window." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Always keep a poker face. Don’t ever show your hand. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His lips turned up a little, "Still living at home then?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Only until Saturday," as she said it there was that flash of pain was there again but this time on his face. Stupid question. Stupid idiotic question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Right," he said feeling duly admonished as he looked down. "Well the dress looks.... nice," he said, stumbling for the last word. He dare not say what he wanted too, better to simply let it go. "So, um, who's the lucky guy?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had shut her eyes. He prayed she wasn't going to cry, an idiot like him didn't deserve tears. It was silly for her to cry over some idiot like him. Even from this distance, he noticed her breath hitch, but then his own pulse was going completely crazy so what did he know?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aoko looked away, "Does it matter?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not really I guess. He must be a lucky bastard whoever he is," he said wryly. A little too much truth in that statement for his liking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A beat and then softly, "Would you kill me if I said it was Hakuba?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well he should've been expecting it, so the bloody pratt came back and got the girl. Well he was everything KID wasn't, so it shouldn't be such a surprise. Explained the western wedding by any means.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Naw-" he said with a weak smile, "Though I might kill your fiancée." Yeah right… even looking at murder scene made him cringe. He'd come close when faced with his father's murderer, but in the end someone else had done the dirty deed- not him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a small sound, and he prayed it wasn't a stifled sob. He felt his mask crack a little, and he ended up taking a step forward. He didn't see tears, but then she'd always been strong and, "Oh of all the- Look don't cry. Come on. I'm not worth that, especially not when you're all happy and have a life and everything alright? This was why I didn't want to risk this. I should never have come in the first place so Ao-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't expecting her to turn back to him and lung into his arms pulling them both to the ground with the effort as she let out a loud cry. He doubled back trying to hold up both of them, and keep a wailing bride from the pavement in her wedding dress. It failed. The two of them fell into the road, and it was all he could do to take the brunt of the impact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ao-" this was hard, this could possibly be harder than facing down those black bastards. "Aoko-" her arms tightened around his chest, and the only thing he could think of was the fact that she smelled oh so good, and that he could die there with her wrapped in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t break the hold yet. Could do nothing but rest his head against hers, and let her cry. Why did he always have to make her cry? Even when he didn’t mean to. Selfish Kaito. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too selfish. It brought him to his senses, "Aoko come on now. You should stand up. Don't want to get your dress dirty, I don’t think I could afford the dry cleaning bill to have it ready by Saturday." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow that only made her cling harder to him and finally he gave up. He let his own arms tighten around her, and gave up on any type of so-called "reason".</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I missed you so much-" she murmured into his shirt. "I… I thought I was going crazy. You weren't home. No one knew where you were not even your mother," she pulled him closer. "I was so mad. I- I almost told out of spite. I thought maybe at least that would get you home, but then I thought I'd lose you forever anyway and-" She was babbling,  but he forced himself to listen. She needed this, even if he did wonder how he was going to survive this whole ordeal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… I guessed you never wanted to see me again, but I did. Kaito I…" she trailed off as she hung her head and let her arms drop beside her, still with them both mostly sprawled on the pavement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved to sit up better. He honestly didn't have words for once in his life. He couldn't tease his way out of this one, or joke, or even offer condolences. He was too stunned to say much of anything, which was why when suddenly a hand lashed out slamming against his cheek he could do nothing but shout “Ow!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It caused him to smile though. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was an Aoko he knew, even if the tears were still there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You bastard!" Her eyes were smoldering as she looked back up at him, "You-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He broke into an outright grin, "Welcome back your ladyship." He winced as another slap met his other cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It must be a hilarious scene if there was anyone to see them. A young man sprawled on his back on the sidewalk with a woman in a wedding dress half straddled over him hand raised for a slap. Quite the scene, thank goodness no one was out at that hour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How DARE you," her voice was dangerous this time. She was already stressed for emotions, and now he could tell she remembered that she was actually mad at him. Well of course she was, hell if it was him in that situation he'd be furious. "Kaito you- you. You were KID and you, you just- and than-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When did you finally find out?" he asked softly, eyes kind as he watched her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Does it matter?" she murmured. "You knew I would! What with that stupid letter of yours-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile turned bitter, "Would you have rather I left without explaining anything? Something tells me I probably wouldn't have a head now if that were the case. I found her by the way." His eyes grew distant as he looked beyond her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Her? Oh… you mean that stupid stone?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, "Guess that's one way to put it. She's gone now. I made sure of that- kinda don't know what to do with my time, though I suppose I can be expecting your Dad at my door in the morning eh?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down at her wedding dress, "That'd be stupid-" she said softly. "KID stole so much from me already, shouldn't I at least have my father for my wedding? This week at least is suppose to be happy-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ouch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled at the lace not meeting his eye, "Dad would probably be happy to see you anyway" she added softly. "It's not like I could tell him. Hakuba knows I know, but he also knows I won't testify that in a court."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened and then softened again this time his top mask slid off, "Oh."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clenched the lace in her hands a little tighter, "I thought you always talked about being a magician… or did you leave behind your magic tricks like you left me?" And there went another mask out the window. "Did you just abandon that too?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't know if the whole task force would show up at my first performance," he said with no laughter in his words this time. "I didn't really want to step onto stage and be arrested before I could even do my first trick."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You'd just do a disappearing act, you're awfully good at it after all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. He deserved that one too, especially since it was true, "Yeah well, it gets a little tiring after a while."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both looked at each other from where they were, neither quite meeting the other's eye. It was Kaito who finally broke, even if he had no right, what else did he have to lose after all? The worst she could do was turn him in, and at best maybe-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You love him right? The pratt-" he asked her looking out into the darkness. " I mean you do-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He cares me, and we’re a good team. Hakuba's always been like that, even in high school-" it was a statement more than a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hah. He's always been too much of a player for his own good, flirting with anything that has two legs and breas-" one look from her and he knew he went too far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's a good man Kaito, and you know that. And he cares about me, genuinely.  I mean he never gave up. He was there when you left too-" she swallowed. "I… I owe him this much at least."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaito raised an eyebrow, "You didn't answer my question."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well it's none of your business is it?" she snapped back and pulled away further. "You don't have any right to ask me those questions in the first place so where do you get off delving into my emotions? You don't even have them! All you ever do, all you ever did is hide behind those bloody masks and laugh at the rest of us! Well I'm sorry Kaito, some of us are not as perfect as you are… some of us are actually human." Her hands trembled a little as she smoothed the lace for the tenth time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You’re right, I don't," he felt his voice drop as well as his masks that all slowly fell away. He knew his last ones would hold, he doubted he could drop those even if he tried, in that regard she was right, but he also knew he'd lost hold of his emotions. "But some of aren't as strong as you Aoko, or as brave-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something in his voice must have caught her attention because when she glanced up her eyes went wide. His face looked at least five- ten years older, with wrinkles highlighted around his eyes. He had worry lines that hadn't shown before, and there was a tiredness in his eyes that replaced the glitter that had been there in high school. He knew he’d aged, maybe even more so than he remembered his father had at this age. Of course his father had a successful career, a beautiful wife, and what did Kaito have? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His cheeks were still red from where she'd hit them and he flinched as her hand moved towards his face. He wasn't expecting her to lay it gently on his cheek instead, and touch the creases in surprise. His eyes closed at the feeling. He couldn't help feeling almost like a cat being stroked by its owner, or for almost a moment imagining what could have been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well he'd thrown off his masks, he was allowed a moment to dream. Not to mention the warmth of her touch was to all regards like some sort of drug. Illegal and addictive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened them again to meet her eyes this time, blue eyes that held as much confusion and pain as he knew his must have. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. You’re right… I can't pull them all down. I don't know if that's even possible after so much time, but you got through the rest." He laughed slightly, "See? I'm not so perfect, though I can't imagine it's that mesmerizing to see me without them." He touched her hand without thinking, and she pulled back as if burned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked away, "Right. Well, I guess I'll-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked looking back at her, she hadn't moved an inch from where she sat as she gripped her dress again, "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why? Why now? Why did you have to come back now?" Her voice was strong and more angry then questioning, "Why not a year ago? A month ago? Even next week! But why now! Why Kaito?" he could tell she was holding back for his sake and he shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know. Honestly… If I had known I would have waited, at least until after the wedding," he said softly. "I had no clue, not until I saw you in your window all dressed up like this. I hadn't even expected to see you there. But you looked so… well…" he smiled sadly. Then all at once it was replaced with a smile, "You know what the dress is missing?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kaito?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmm- this" he reached towards her pushing back a strand of hair and her hand flew up to feel soft white petals. He drew his hand back and smiled at her, "There… now you really can rival any flower in the garden.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He realized he was starting to stare and finally decided he needed to move. He couldn't risk getting caught here, "Well I think I've overstayed my welcome, you might need to get your dress cleaned. Just tell my mother what cleaners and I'll see to the bill since it is my faul-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He never finished his words as suddenly a hand grabbed his arm forcing him to turn back towards her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she was kissing him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was sudden, fierce and a complete shock, as he took a moment to register the fact that it was Aoko's lips against his, and it was Aoko who had grabbed his arms, and it was Aoko who-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took another moment for his thoughts to come to a complete stop. He wasn’t thinking as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to her feet and then off of them. He had in his arms everything he ever wanted, and frankly rationale was not highest on his list of priorities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He deepened the kiss slightly and he felt her give way in his arms, melting in them, a sharp contrast to the ferocity of how she'd begun the whole thing. When he was finished with the first, he nearly stole a second before he remembered the situation. If they hadn't been so entangled he might have jumped back like fire, but as it was he was frightened she might fall if he completely let go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead he looked at her wordlessly only to be met by eyes that were smoldering and a serious expression, but her face was more alive than it had been all night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't quite know what he was expecting, but he wasn't quite prepared for what she did say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't love him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't even know he'd been teasing her hair until he drew his hand back, "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hakuba… I… I mean- I like him well enough, but I don't- I don't love him," her breath caught and she looked up at him with more courage than he could ever muster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then why-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… You'd been gone so long and I was so angry. When he asked me out all I could think was how angry you’d be, how furious you’d be. So I finally said yes, and it wasn’t terrible. Suddenly one date became two and-” she looked away. “I was lonely Kaito. We get along. He asked, and you were still gone, and at least we had things in common. Women have said yes for less. I think he might even love me,” she laughed. “Who wouldn’t want an English prince to sweep them away? I think I might have even felt the same, except I saw you and-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head and reached up to catch her chin, "No. Don't you dare give up all this because of me. Aoko I'm nothing. I'm barely worth wiping your feet on. I don't know what you were thinking kissing me like that but-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn't expected to see a smile creep back onto her face, "Oh? I didn't see you complaining when you were kissing me back. Even in bed, Hakuba never came close to-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scarlet might come close to expressing the shade of red he knew his cheeks were, and he had to make a face, "Ugh. Must you? Please… stop now-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was rewarded with a rather fierce smile, "Well it's the truth." Her eyes were sparkling this time, "What's that they say about not knowing what you're missing? I had to know and…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, "Aoko don’t-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kaito all it took was one kiss from you to make me decide maybe I don’t want to marry him? How long would he and I really last? Do you really think a whole year? Two maybe? Is that even fair to him?" She shook her head, "So don't be so conceited, it's not just you. I promise. I... “ he saw something conflicted in her eyes. Like she wanted to say more but couldn’t bring herself to. “You just helped decide it for me. That’s all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t believe her. Not really. But maybe he was just too selfish to care. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"…so you used me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Payback," this time the smile she gave him was real. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You realize Hakuba's not going to see it that way right? He's going to hear I'm in town and decide he wants my head on a platter for good this time, even if KID is retired and gone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head jolted up, "Wait… you mean you really did give up being KID? That your-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," he smiled. "I told you, I found her and she's gone. The FBI have custody of Dad's murderers so it’s finished.” He flicked up his fingers and let off a few sparks, “Do you really think I should go ahead and pursue being a magician?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You always did say you could rival KID," that half hearted smile was back, and it made him wish he could simply magick the sadness away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then I guess that's settled. I've kind of missed having an audience of my own anyway-" he smiled and then sighed. "Aoko are you sure this is what you want? I mean, you said it yourself, Hakuba loves you and I'm not exactly the best replacement."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was thrown off when her smile bared teeth, "I just said I wasn't going to marry Hakuba. Whoever said anything about dating you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck. Maybe he’d gotten it entirely wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, of course she was just, “I mean you said- I thought…" he was babbling and Aoko was starting to laugh and his heart gave a leap. "Fine. Well I'm sure once I start my magician work there will be plenty of girls all lined up in a row happy to go out with me. Not to mention I'll have to choose one of them to be my assistant. Maybe a blond American with a nice-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kaito!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well if you're going to leave me stranded with just my poor lonesome self..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder, "Idiot."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know it." He looked down to study what remained of the dress she was wearing. She’d done a number to it, between the pavement and dirt and even streaks of tears. She was still beautiful, but it was a different sort of beauty. More the Aoko he remembered, one who was never afraid to get messy or into the middle of a fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You really did a job on that dress. I doubt you'll be able to return it even after a thorough cleaning. Though it would be a shame anyway, seeing how it even gives you curves!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt her fist attach with his arm as she yelled, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Bakaito!</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached out trying to cover her mouth, "Shhhh!! What are you trying to do? Wake up your father with all that caterwauling?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed to bring her back to the present. Her face paled and she looked towards the house,  "Oh no…. Dad! He's going to kill me!" She looked at the dress and for a moment it looked like she was going to faint.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"About the wedding?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No… actually he'll probably be relieved. Honestly I think he had some sort of bet going and he was a little disappointed when I said I was agreeing to marry Hakuba instead. No… Dad was the one who paid for the dress.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Kaito winced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah…" she frowned and then a smile teased on her lips, "Of course, I could always blame it on you. It was your fault after all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh? How is it my fault!?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You showed up at my window."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh? And who was the one who had the brilliant idea of tackling me to the ground?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But you-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thought came to him and a grin slipped across his face, all mischief,  "What if I just leave a KID note and steal it for a few days? Return it cleaned and your Dad none the wiser?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"…..Kaito."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I mean it would get us out of trouble… We could always just say KID-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"…..Kaito!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"While I was at it I could leave one for Hakuba too! Let’s see... something about ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I've taken from you the fairest of all, the shining sapphire now graces my-’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"….."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He met her eyes and swallowed hard wondering if now would be a good time to escape, "Or I could just sneak you back into your room and take the dress with me and make sure it gets cleaned first thing tomorrow… ne?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her father might be scary, but he swore that girl had to have some Amazon blood in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright-" she replied reluctantly. She worried at a spot of dirt and scowled as it just caused the stain to grow, “But I swear, if Dad gets one note-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll be good" he promised with a smile. "Really…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you say so-" she said with a yawn as she leaned back against his shoulder. He slipped his arms back around her waist pulling her back to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well he’d always been terrible at being good. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And if he was going to be bad? Might as well go out with a bang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time he caught her lips, letting himself linger and slowly catch her mouth with his. She seemed to melt against him, her own hands fisted in his shirt, and her eyes bright and shining. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad,” she said through harried breath. “I’m glad you came home. Even if you were ridiculously late. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threaded her fingers through his hair and he smiled back, “Nonsense. I was exactly on time,” he said, pulling her back to him for another kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps he’d allow himself just one more heist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A beautiful, sparkling, blue gem. </span>
</p>
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